cool thanks, did you take altitude sickness pills at all, that is the only thing that scares me.
No, but I knew the affects of altitude on me as I did The Inca Trail and toured Peru for a month the year before. I do get affected by altitude and kept the pills with me but due to them only treating the symptoms I chose both times to rather feel the affects so that I would know if my body can't go any further.
That said just follow the 'rules'
-Water, drink water, then more water and when you can't drink anymore water keep drinking more water! Using a water bladder helps as its convenient so you don't have to stop promoting drinking of more water and on the plus limits the destruction of this beautiful reserve with not having to buy plastic water bottles
-Don't drink alcohol!
-Stay awake! You might feel tired but do not go to bed early, plan your 7-8 hours but nothing more
-Pace yourself and walk slowly! Stop for water, pictures, more water, rest, water, food,...
-Take only what you can carry, I think you allowed 15kgs on the flight but take what you need unless you have a porter carrying everything
Some other tips:
-Carry a steel water bottle, at night get the tea house to fill it with boiling water and throw it into your sleeping bag to warm it up then move it to a safe place in your bag so it can act like a heater over night and in the early hours of the morning when you wake up (I'd be surprised if you don't at the higher altitudes) you'll have some warmish water to drink
-Don't eat the meat anywhere past Lukla, they not allowed to slaughter in the reserve so everything is carried on the backs of people with blocks of ice to keep it cool, you might get to see this, does not look sanitary.
-Take some playing cards or other small games. I went alone but the people you meet on the flight and on day you arrive will be the same people you see for the next 14 days, everyone walks the same path and there's so few tea houses further up that you'll stay in the same place and end up hanging around dining halls together. Till this day I still chat with some of the guys I met on FB.
-Have Insurance that covers you! You will see the many helicopters, horses, yaks,...bringing people down that can't handle the altitude, one lady made it to base camp and the night before the trek back began she passed out at the tea house, she didn't have insurance her friend had to put like $5000 on his credit card before they would take her to safety
-Look at all the notice boards in the dining halls at the tea houses, you might find a R20 note signed but an awesome person
